Drafting a Men's Shirt Pattern From Scratch

Readers, it is time I drafted a shirt for myself entirely from scratch.

I haven't done a lot of this (outside of patternmaking class) because commercial patterns generally fit me well without a lot of alterations.  I generally shorten the torso a few inches; sometimes I do a sloping shoulder adjustment.  And I tweak here and there, particular when it comes to the collar shape if I'm using a vintage pattern.

I thought it would be a fun challenge to draft a shirt pattern from my own measurements.  I have a lot of pattern drafting books in my library but the one I decided to use is Dorothy Moore's "Pattern Drafting and Dressmaking."  I've used it a number of times over the years for various projects and it has always yielded good results.  Used copies can be found easily on Amazon (you might want to check Alibris too: I've often found better prices there).

You'll need a few basic tools to draft patterns: pattern paper (I like the plain white), an L-square ruler, a clear plastic straight ruler, a clear plastic curved ruler (a French curve will do), pencils, carbon paper, and a pattern tracing wheel.  That's about it.

There are only a handful of measurements necessary to draft a men's shirt: neck size, chest, waist, hips, back length (base of neck to waist), shirt length, wrist circumference, sleeve length, and back shoulder to shoulder width.  That's about it.

It helps to have some patternmaking experience but you have to start somewhere and I think Moore's book is a pretty good place to start.  Once you draft your pattern, you'll need to add seam allowances.  Mine are usually 1/2".  I add a 1/4" allowance only for the collar, collar stand, and neckline.  It makes it easier to sew.

I mentioned sleeve caps in a recent post about my double gauze shirt.  Moore's pattern drafting book gives you options for a higher sleeve cap, a medium cap, or a lower one.  Basically, if you want a high or medium cap, you divide the armhole circumference by 4 or 6.  If you want a low cap, you divide by 8.  The higher cap will result in a less bulky-looking armscye but it will feel tighter when you raise your arm over your head and you'll probably pull some of your shirt up with it.  The low cap means there will be more fabric at the armscye, but you'll have greater ease of movement.

I tried both sleeves.

The first one is the low-cap.  It's almost identical to the sleeve in the vintage Butterick pattern I used to make my double gauze shirt (my draft doesn't include the seam allowance).

Below, you can see my low-cap draft next to Vogue 8889, a commercial pattern I've used many times that has a much higher cap (just above it is the short-sleeve version).  The yellow shirt I'm modeling has the higher cap.

Here's the pattern I drafted yesterday with the lower cap.  I sewed just the right sleeve.

Today, I drafted the left sleeve with a higher cap and narrower silhouette.  I sewed it up in a vintage floral percale bed sheet.  It's definitely sleeker.  Do I like it better?  I believe I do.

There are a few minor tweaks I'll make on this self-drafted shirt pattern should I sew it up in real fabric, mainly having to do with the sleeve length (another inch would be welcome) and the shape of the collar--I want more of a spread.  I also think it's just an eensy bit too fitted at the waist.

But overall I'm very happy with the result and I recommend Dorothy Moore's method, even though her book is primarily geared to women and most of the designs are late-Sixties styles.  It's really not about the designs, however, it's the techniques themselves, and the ones she teaches are timeless.

Hope you find this helpful, readers.

Happy sewing!